Her Name Was Megan
Some twelve days ago, a 22 year-old-woman was mauled to death by a hand-raised lion belonging to the famed “Lion Whisperer” Kevin Richardson.
Her name was Megan. Megan van der Zwan.
That matters.
It matters more than the fact that the “Lion Whisperer’s reputation is now in question.
It matters more than the fact that the “Lion Whisperer’s” TAG Heuer ad campaign got cancelled.
It matters more than the fact that the “Lion Whisperer’s sanctuary is now involved in an investigation.
Her name was Megan, and she’s dead.
Her family is still struggling to come to terms with losing her, not that the media cares very much. In the days since Megan’s untimely and savage death, there was an immediate rush of interest, primarily in the fact that the famed “Lion Whisperer” had failed to control one of his lions, followed by days of radio silence. Then, just before and right after Megan’s funeral on Friday, two articles appeared, short, and devoid of any functional conversation about what actually happened.
One of the articles contained misinformation (that “Kevin” said the women were outside the camp, he has not ever said that) while the other was more interested in how Megan’s family was “dealing with” her death, the answer which of course, is that they aren’t dealing well at all. Their child is dead. That speaks for itself.
What’s not being spoken of is how all of this happened. How did a lion wind up in the direct proximity of two innocent young women in a location which is supposedly secure enough to house guests that pay to stay there? How was that lion comfortable enough with humans and human structures to approach the area without hesitation?
The answer is Kevin Richardson, himself. The conservation community just doesn’t have the fortitude to own up to that fact, and to discuss it in depth. In fact, proponents of Richardson within the conservation community are actually counseling that the community avoid discussing the fact that Richardson’s choice to create the mythos of the “Lion Whisperer” and promote his handling of his lions directly led to the death of Megan van der Zwan, because, as they put it “emotions are too high”.
Emotions are too high?
There was just another school shooting in America, and do you know who’s refusing to discuss gun control because emotions are too high? Pro-gun factions. It’s a classic stalling tactic.
Right now, even the most devoted “Lion Whisperer” fans are having a hard time coming up with valid arguments as to why it’s perfectly acceptable for Richardson to handle his lions after such handling resulted in Megan’s death. Therefore, they’re taking a subject that’s been discreetly brushed aside and intentionally avoided for years, and setting it aside yet again with the excuse that “emotions are too high” to discuss it. Strange, since before a young woman was mauled to death, attempts at discussing why it’s a bad idea for anyone to promote the handling of captive wild animals, no matter who they are, were brushed off as the attempt of a few “jealous” groups or individuals who “didn’t understand” how Richardson, and those like him, “operate”.
So it’s up to CWW, and anyone else willing to have the discussion about hands-on conservation versus hands-off conservation to pursue the issue. Especially since Richardson himself is refusing to talk about any of it. While one of the most recent two articles cites a statement from Richardson’s Facebook page, they aren’t actually quoting Richardson, but rather, the lay-person who runs his social media accounts. The only direct public statement Richardson has made about Megan’s death didn’t have to do with her, so much as himself.
“Myself and an experienced colleague took three lions walking in the Reserve, as we do on a weekly basis, as part of their exercise and stimulation regiment. We assessed the landscape for other big 5 animals and as per procedure sent out a notification that we were walking in the reserve. One of the lionesses charged off after an Impala and must have run 2,0 to 2,5km where she encountered the 22-year-old outside the car”
“I am devastated and my heart goes out to this young woman’s family.”
This is, as of the time of the drafting of this article, the only public statement Kevin Richardson has made about Megan’s death, or the mauling. It was only issued after some 24hrs of careful consideration to wording and presentation.
I took my lions out as I always do. I made sure there were no wild animals in the area, and I told my employees that I was taking my lions out. I’m devastated, and I feel badly for the other people dealing with this mess.
A simple rewording brings the actual content of Richardson’s statement forward to showcase just how self-serving and self-centered the statement is. And the most prominent thing missing from Richardson’s so carefully worded statement?
An apology.
You see, you can’t apologize for something without admitting guilt for it in at least some capacity. And Richardson can’t afford to publicly admit guilt without opening himself up for legal repercussions, both civil, and possibly criminal. Watchdog maintains the stipulation that Richardson did not want Megan to be injured or killed, just as we stipulate that Richardson feels terrible that she’s dead. However, the fact that Richardson recognized the tenuousness of his situation so profoundly as to wait 24hrs before issuing a public statement, and then wording that statement so cautiously as to avoid even apologizing to Megan’s family in order to also avoid anything that could be construed as an admittance of guilt that might be used against him later tells you where Richardson’s concern lay. And it wasn’t with the family of the dead young woman, or with the surviving young woman who is now dealing with the repercussions of having watched as her friend was killed.
Take a moment and let that sink in. Even less considered in this mess than Megan, who was killed by Richardson’s lioness, is her as-of-yet-unnamed friend. This second young woman was laughing and talking with Megan one moment, and then in the next moment found herself watching as Megan was torn apart alive by a lion. Graphic, we know. That’s precisely why we’re offering readers this gentle reminder of just how devastating this event was for the victims.
Watchdog has been accused of “exploiting” this situation for our own purposes. Our focus, however, is on the young women who suffered in this attack. One of them is dead, and the other irrevocably traumatized by witnessing the fatal mauling of her friend.
These women are the victims of a broken conservation system.
A broken system that Watchdog was founded to rail against. And we will continue to do so. Megan and her surviving friend will not have suffered in vain. They will not be forgotten, we will make sure of it.